The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-17
THE ELEPHANT DRIVE.
An Interesting Story Of Adventure in India.

MI. W. oephuoioOhj ohO ouPciAhSNh~
snt OF the government Kheddahs at
Dacoa, made an unprecedented cap
.ure OF elephants in Caro- Hills. The
details OF this exploit are described
by Mr.. Sanderson himself:
"rhe 18th we began to drive in the
forenoon. The elephants were, con.
trary to our expectation and to their
habits hitherto, all together in one
large gathering. TO arrive at the
stockade they had first to reach q
small, level plateau on the top OF q
hill, from which they were TO be de-
Elected to their left down n slope, at
the foot OF which was the stockade,
well screened in the jungle. The two
guiding palisades or wings, con-
verging to the gates OF the
stockade, were run up the hillside
the distance OF some two hundred
yards at fifty yards apart.
Three fire lines were made through the
jungle across the space between the
guiding palisades, one joining them at
their extreme ends, one-half way down
and one about 90 yards from thegate.
On these lines dry grass was stacked
in bundles and hidden by green leaves,
ready to be fired when tie elephants
had crossed the paths. The drive was
well managed, the herd being kept to-
yether and not oVerdriven, which often
causes n herd to break up into small
parties. The moment the last had
crossed the fire line the spies sounded
their rattles, and us il by magic had
not spared few dozen match boxes
among the mem, a cracking line of
flame extended along the hillside, Join.
ing the extreme ends OF the palisades
and cutting of retreat. Immediately
the hitherto comparative silence OF the
drive was broken by yelling and blank
firing from all sides, and the elephants
hurried forward in u crowd, no longer
following any leader, but each striv-
ing not to be last. They soon crossed
the second iire-line, and at signal
from log-horn-barely audible In the
din OF elephants and men-active fell
lows raced forward from both ends
with torches, and in a few seconds
this line also was a wall OF fire.
"The third line was similarly fired
when the herd had passed, and now
the fun waxed fast and furious. Some
OF the elephants went into the stock
ade Mt once, but n huge male with the
right tusk only (such elephants are
called Gunesh and certain castles OF
Hindoos reverence them) took up his
position in the gateway. which was
only eleven feet wide, and no elephant
could pass him. These how was ex-
traordinary,and Colonel and Mrs. Ora
ham Smith, from "A platform in tree
near, had an excellent view OF it. The
space between the convergingpalisades
was tightly packed by struggling
mass of elephants Tor many yards
from the gate Every vestage of Jungle
had disappeared, and the men were
ski, mishing with blank cartridges and
torches OF blazing grass up to within
twenty yards or less of the elephants,
and u shower of sticks and clods was
kept over the palisades by those out
side. The roaring OF the youngsters
OF the herd, which were being trampled
and squeezed, combined with the noise
OF rattes, guns and OF the fire consum-
ing the jungle between the palisades in
the direction whence heelephants had
come, made it impossible to make
ones self heard by any one, even at
ones elbow fired several charges OF
shot into the rearmost OF the ele-
plants, though really | thought
them little to blame for not
moving on it was not for
want OF will or pushing, as the angle
OF their hind legs rs they bored des-
perateiy into the mass before them
mutely testified At last the opposi-
ton gave way; the gunesh and Others
which We're stopping the way were
borne onward into the stockade by
the pressure behind, and the ANIMALS
in the rear made renewed exertions
to get away from the terrible sights
and sounds so close behind them.
"When saw the elephants strug-
Cling before the gate, | never believed
that so many (136 as it turned OUT
could by any possibility get into a
stockade 215 feet in circumference.
The area was even less than that OF
a circle of similar circumference, as
our stockades have ID straight sides
OF / o feet each, and the gate side of2Q
feet. We never expected ourstockades
would hold over 100 elephants;
65 was the greatest number we had
ever impounded before, though !
must say they had plenty of room
when the resistance was overcome
and the final struggle to get into the
stockade began. The thing seemed
after seeing the elephants
half covering hillside or trooping
along in single file. One wave to the